SUBJECT: Heritage Collegiate and Clarenville High School tie for first place at regional ROV competition

DATE: May 4

Heritage Collegiate and Clarenville High School tied for first place and proved they are the teams to beat at the 2010 Marine Advanced Technology Education Centre’s (MATE) Regional ROV Competition, held at the Fisheries and Marine Institute of Memorial University of Newfoundland from April 30-May 1. Both schools have now qualified for the 2010 MATE International Competition to be held at the University of Hawaii at Hilo from June 24-26.

Heritage Collegiate has a history of success at the regional competition, marking the fourth time in five years the Lethbridge high school has claimed top prize at the event. They also took first place in 2006, 2007 and 2009 with a second place finish in the 2008 regional competition, allowing them to compete in the international event each year.

The ROV competition challenged students from 17 different high schools to design, build and pilot a remotely operated vehicle (ROV). The focus of this year’s competition missions was the Lo‘ihi seamount, an active undersea volcano rising more than 3,000 metres above the seafloor, located off the coast of Hawaii’s Big Island.

The event took place at in Marine Institute’s flume tank, providing the participating students with a great opportunity to learn first-hand what the Marine Institute offers.

“Over the last several months the students worked very hard to develop their ROVs and get ready for the competition,” said Dwight Howse, head of MI’s School of Ocean Technology. “The teams demonstrated an amazing amount of technical talent, not to mention teamwork and a sense of cooperation, camaraderie and professionalism that radiated throughout the event.”

Glenn Blackwood, executive director of the Marine Institute, said the competition is an exceptional event for students. It lets them use their ingenuity and consider the ocean technology sector as an emerging marine career for young people.

“Students get the opportunity to use and develop their project management, innovation, technical and teamwork skills. These are the same qualities we teach our Marine Institute graduates as they prepare for their careers and become leaders in the Newfoundland and Labrador ocean technology community,” he said. “On behalf of the Marine Institute, I’d like to extend congratulations to all the teams.”

Eric G. Lambert High School from Churchill Falls, along with the post-secondary Eastern Edge Robotics team from N.L. will also travel to Hawaii to compete at the international competition.